U.S. Department of Agriculture to gauge financial well-being of Wisconsin farmers and ranchers
Beginning in late December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) began mailing reports to gather information about farm economics and production practices from farmers and ranchers across Wisconsin, as the agency conducts the third and final phase of the 2018 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).
“ARMS is the only survey that measures the current financial well-being of Wisconsin producers and their households as a whole,” said Greg Bussler, Wisconsin State Statistician. “The results of this survey will help inform decisions on local and federal policies and programs that affect Wisconsin farms and farm families.”
In an effort to obtain the most accurate data, NASS will be contacting more than 30,000 producers nationwide, including 1,400 in Wisconsin, between January and April. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics. The 2018 survey includes a version focused on soybean costs and returns.
“We realize that this survey is lengthy and some producers may have questions,” explained Bussler. “In February, our interviewers will begin reaching out to those farmers who have not yet responded to answer any questions they may have and help them fill out their questionnaires.”
In addition to producing accurate information, NASS has strong safeguards in place to protect the confidentiality of all farmers who respond to its surveys. The agency will only publish data in aggregate form, ensuring the confidentiality of all responses so no individual respondent or operation can be identified.
The expense data gathered in ARMS will be published in the annual Farm Production Expenditures report on August 2, 2019. That report and others are available at www.nass.usda.gov.
More reports based on ARMS data and more information about ARMS is available at www.ers.usda.gov/arms.